Health Center Updates COVID Data Hub

/

The Clay County Public Health team updated the Clay County Data Hub to align with simplified guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recently updated how it is evaluating the impact of COVID and making new recommendations to communities. 

According to the CDC website, COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

As of March 3, based on CDC data, Clay County is ranked Medium. The recommendations at this level are:

  • Get tested if you have any symptoms

  • Stay up to date with COVID vaccination

  • If you are at high risk of severe illness, talk to your health care provider about continuing to wear a mask and take other precautions.

  • The Public Health Center recommends that anyone who lives with someone at high risk to continue masking while the community is at this level.

There are no new recommendations at any level. If a county is rated at the Low level then the CDC recommends people get tested if they have symptoms and stay up to date with vaccinations. If a county is rated at the High level, then the CDC recommends people follow the Medium guidance plus wear a mask indoors.

The Health Center maintains that masks can be an effective tool for helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. The CDC emphasizes that loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, while N95 masks offer the highest level of protection. Masking is optional and people may choose to wear a mask no matter what community level they are in.

 According to the Clay County Health Center’s data hub, the number of COVID cases has dropped considerably in 2022. The highest level was reported during the week of January 9, with 1,799 cases in Clay County. As of February 20, there were only 92 reported cases. 

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story